This is the news we didn’t want to hear today – that Michael Owen is missing from today’s line-up – after picking up a groin strain in training on Friday.
So Alan Shearer makes the one forced change to the side which beat Middlesbrough 3-1 on Monday night, with Oba Martins coming in for Owen.
We can only assume Oba is fit enough, and maybe Lovenkrands and Carroll can replace him if he feels his groin too much during the game.
In fact we’re a little surprised Alan didn’t go with Peter Lovenkrands to start, and bring in Oba in as an impact substitute in the second half. We assume Oba is feeling OK about his groin, which would be good.
Shola Ameobi is brought in as a substitute.
Nicky Butt will be captain of the side this afternoon, as he continues in midfield alongside Kevin Nolan, Jonas Gutierrez and Danny Guthrie.
Habib Beye, Sebastien Bassong, Steven Taylor and Damien Duff form a flat back four – the same defense that played so well on Monday night.
Former Newcastle favorite and Academy graduate, Aaron Hughes, starts for Fulham at center-back.
Howard Webb is the referee, and let’s hope he doesn’t do anything stupid in the game.
This is again do or die for Newcastle United – a win would be fantastic and a defeat would be just too hard to take.
We’ll be back after the game, and let’s hope the lads play this game as though their lives depended on winning it – and hopefully if they do that – it should be enough.
Whatever the Hull City result today at Bolton, a Newcastle win would be fabulous.
Howay The Lads!!
Newcastle United: Steve Harper, Habib Beye, Steven Taylor, Sebastien Bassong, Damien Duff, Nicky Butt (c), Kevin Nolan, Danny Guthrie, Jonas Gutierrez, Mark Viduka, Oba Martins
Subs: Fabricio Coloccini, Tim Krul, Ryan Taylor, Alan Smith, Shola Ameobi, Peter Lovenkrands, Andy Carroll
Fulham: Mark Schwarzer, Paul Konchesky, John Pantsil, Brede Hangeland, Erik Nevland, Zoltan Gera, Danny Murphy (c), Diomansy Kamara, Aaron Hughes, Dickson Etuhu, Clint Dempsey
Subs: Pascal Zuberbuhler, Andy Johnson, Bobby Zamora, Olivier Dacourt, Julian Gray, Toni Kallio, Chris Baird
Referee: Howard Webb
Attendance: 52,300
293 comments so far
Big Dave
May 16, 2009 at 3:11 PM
Comment #41Im good Norn Iron we have started out allright keep it up lads
dub sea
May 16, 2009 at 3:11 PM
Comment #42game now on veetle
http://www.veetle.com/viewChannel.php?cid=4a0d017b77088
dub sea
May 16, 2009 at 3:12 PM
Comment #43dunno about that white bit on the back of the shirts….need more black in the kit
beyethegreat
May 16, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Comment #44boro
BT9MAG
May 16, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Comment #45Good start so far…Playing long(ish) balls but keeping the ball on hte floor, gives us such a more precise looking style of play!
I like the front of the new strip but the back is rank…still gunna get it ‘Sir Bobby’ on the back just to cover up that white patch! Don’t suppose anyone know what number he predominantly was?
The Original Todd
May 16, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Comment #46oba off the post
Toon_Factor
May 16, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Comment #47Who just hit the post?
Norn Iron Magpie
May 16, 2009 at 3:17 PM
Comment #48Links not great today lads.
dub sea
May 16, 2009 at 3:17 PM
Comment #49martins hit post …great move
ObaFan2
May 16, 2009 at 3:17 PM
Comment #50Hit the post OBA !
BT9MAG
May 16, 2009 at 3:18 PM
Comment #51Lovely play – that woulda surely stuck Nolan near the top of our assists table had that gone in?!
Norn Iron Magpie
May 16, 2009 at 3:19 PM
Comment #52Which link is the best lads?
dub sea
May 16, 2009 at 3:20 PM
Comment #53this one norn
http://www.veetle.com/viewChannel.php?cid=4a0d017b77088
Norn Iron Magpie
May 16, 2009 at 3:22 PM
Comment #54Thanks mate
sirjasontoon
May 16, 2009 at 3:29 PM
Comment #55Come on Toon !!
Bolton just scored
thegreatoba
May 16, 2009 at 3:30 PM
Comment #56STIENSSON!!!!
BOLTON 1-0!
CMON YOU TOON!
ObaFan2
May 16, 2009 at 3:31 PM
Comment #57Hull behind 1-0 get in
Steve_48
May 16, 2009 at 3:32 PM
Comment #58Hull getting beat atm, smoggies 1-0 up, the bottom of the table stays as is
BT9MAG
May 16, 2009 at 3:35 PM
Comment #59smoggies are up but downing is going off injured…cant see that defence holding on!
BT9MAG
May 16, 2009 at 3:36 PM
Comment #60Duff is a different player under Shearer – looks class at left back!
Big Dave
May 16, 2009 at 3:37 PM
Comment #61only prob with veetle is its 30 secs behind iraqgoals
Big Dave
May 16, 2009 at 3:40 PM
Comment #62BT9MAG agree with you about Duff
sirjasontoon
May 16, 2009 at 3:42 PM
Comment #63Gutted
Big Dave
May 16, 2009 at 3:43 PM
Comment #64FFS
thegreatoba
May 16, 2009 at 3:43 PM
Comment #65shit
Norn Iron Magpie
May 16, 2009 at 3:43 PM
Comment #66Harper had it covered.
Toon_Factor
May 16, 2009 at 3:43 PM
Comment #67****
BT9MAG
May 16, 2009 at 3:44 PM
Comment #68sh@t!
Norn Iron Magpie
May 16, 2009 at 3:44 PM
Comment #69Fulham score?
sirjasontoon
May 16, 2009 at 3:44 PM
Comment #70Hope heads don’t go down.
beyethegreat
May 16, 2009 at 3:44 PM
Comment #71damn
sirjasontoon
May 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Comment #72Corner Come On !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big Dave
May 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Comment #73come on lads
Norn Iron Magpie
May 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Comment #74My stream is slower then FFS
sirjasontoon
May 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Comment #75Another corner !! Come On !!!!!!
NicoGF
May 16, 2009 at 3:47 PM
Comment #761-0 😉
This is not Boro. And your performance against them wasn’t great, it was just Boro were worse (as the table already showed).
Newcastle are shit and we’re sick of it. We need the Nacho Man, shearer won’t play him cause he doesn’t want it to be a foreign hero (he wants a local hero), therefore, we’ll be relegated..
sirjasontoon
May 16, 2009 at 3:48 PM
Comment #77Pi55 of Natcho you Tw4t
Big Dave
May 16, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Comment #78well lads i will be honest i did think we would go down 1 nil 1st but will win 2-1
Obafan
May 16, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Comment #79We need to find something to open up Fulham.
If results stay like this, we’ve got to go and win next Sunday.
Come on lads, there are 45 mins left to turn things around!!!
knottsy82
May 16, 2009 at 3:50 PM
Comment #80THERE WAS A TIME WHERE WE’D HAVE LAUGHED AT FULHAM, THEN YOU OVER PAID USELESS PRICKS COME ALONG F**K OFF GO PLAY SOMEWHERE ELSE USELESS F**KS